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Oral History Interview Audio Recording with Eric Gustafsson, 2014

by: Campbell, Nicole

Publication date: 2014-10-18

Topics: californiarevealed, Vietnam War, 1961-1975, Veterans, United States. Army, Veterans History Project, Library of Congress

Contributor: Gustafsson, Eric

Language: English

Rights: Copyrighted. Rights are owned by Riverside County Library System. Copyright Holder has given Institution permission to provide access to the digitized work online. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the Copyright Holder. In addition, the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Please visit the California Revealed website to see the most complete and up-to-date version of this object: https://repository.californiarevealed.org/node/303878.Eric Gustafsson is a veteran of the Vietnam War. He was born in Los Angeles, California in 1950. He was drafted and served in the Army from November 18, 1968 to June 23, 1970. His highest rank was E-4. He served in Company D 2nd Battalion, the 7th Cavalry and the 1st Air Cavalry in the locations of Fort Ord in California, Vietnam and Cambodia. The medals and service awards he received were a Purple Heart, Bronze Star and an award for combat infantry. Minute markers and topics of audio recording of Interview. [0:20] Early life and family. [1:00] Life before entering the service. [1:30] Family members in the military. [1:50] Volunteered for the draft with friends. [3:00] Basic training and adaptation to military life. [6:40] Entry into Vietnam. [8:10] Conflicts on the front lines. [10:00] Friendships formed and lost. [11:30] On leave and “R and R” experiences. [14:40] Care packages from family. [16:50] Left service after time in Vietnam. [18:40] Reaction of family and community upon return home. [21:30] Adjusting back to civilian life, coping with shell shock. [21:30] Contact with veterans, veteran organizations. [25:00] Lessons and effects of the war. [31:40] Experiences on the Vietnam and Cambodia border. [36:10] Coping with men who lost lives in war. [37:50] More war experiences and negative feelings towards warfare in general based on service. [40:10] No memorials to dead in Vietnam occurred during war. [42:40] Lack of disregard for punishment of troops in Vietnam. [47:40] Tragic memories of service easier to recall than pleasant memories. [49:00] Submitted photographs explained (no photos were taken of scenes of war and destruction).